The Journey of BSG 49
by here4the3food
Summary: During the Fall, two Battlestars escaped the destruction of Caprica with a fleet of civilian ships. Unlike Galactica, however, they're just looking for any planet to call home. Follow them on their journey to their new world, all the while coping with Cylons and an even more insidious enemy...Cylons that look like us. Possible Slash later. I shall see how it goes. Rate and review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Fall Begins

Disclaimer – I own nothing but my OC's.

 **Hey again guys! So I had a review that pointed out some pretty big plot holes that I had made in my rush to upload this chapter so I'm going to proofread and update it accordingly. I'm glad for the feedback, good and bad**

Twenty four guns lined her spine. Eight were mounted on the bottom hull. Four were placed under the forward hull. Eight were under the sides of the forward hull, four on each side and four fixed guns were integrated into the forward hull. Alongside her six hundred point defence guns and four hundred Vipers, there was only one word that he believed fitted the Battlestar _Minerva_ : Juggernaut.

Commander Declan MacRae smiled at the giant ship with fondness in his features. The last time he had served aboard this class of Battlestar, it was the famous _Galactica_ when she was fully armed and capable of kicking the frak out of advanced vessels like the _Mercury_ -class. Battlestar _Minerva_ was the flagship of BSG 49, consisting of one other ship, known as the _Kvasir_ , sister ship of the _Valkyrie_ , Both ships were built for long distance deployments, with advanced hydroponics facilities. Commander Katrina Dearing was in charge of the _Kvasir_. She'd been here since the ships completion whilst the new Commander had been at Picon for meetings during _Minerva's_ trials.

It was unusual to see a Battlestar on the surface of a planet. Several large Battlestars were taking up the official Colonial shipyards, all undergoing major refits. With the ship on the ground, the Colonial government oversaw the construction, ensuring that no corners were cut in the creation of both of the vessels. Boarding the ship, Declan headed to the CIC straight in.

"Attention on deck!" His XO, Colonel Stephen Everett said as he walked in.

"At ease…never thought I'd see a _Mercury-_ style CIC on a _Jupiter-_ class…" Declan said with a smile.

"Welcome aboard, Commander." Everett saluted him and he returned it.

"Glad to be aboard. I can see the shipyard's in a bit of an uproar. What's our supply situation at the moment?"

"We've just finished filling the water tanks and our hydroponics workers have begun preparing all of the facilities for eventual planting. We're waiting on the last of the food deliveries coming from Caprica City. The _Kvasir_ is already fully armed and supplied."

"Good…" He noticed his XO examining him closely.

Declan knew why. As far as commanders go, he was rather young, in his early thirties. He kept his hair short, as per military regulation and though his eyes were a warm brown, his face was still quite stern. Lean from constant exercise, he was in no way a push over. His XO was older, perhaps, but he was the commander.

"Colonel Everett…I know you're concerned about my age. In fact that was one of the things that I'd discussed with Admiral Nagala in Picon. I've nothing to prove to you." He said bluntly. "I will command this ship…you will serve as my XO. My age does not mean anything. Understood?" He asked.

"Yes, sir…"

"Good." He approached a Lieutenant at the helm. Short dark hair like his own and handsome, Declan did hide a niggling feeling that he'd seen this man before. Someone who did the PR for both of the ships. Perhaps they were brothers or something. "Lieutenant Doral…" He smiled politely at the other who returned it. "Unfortunately I was stuck in Picon for _Minerva's_ trials… how did she do?" he asked curiously.

"She did just fine, Commander…at a push, she can match the _Kvasir's_ in speed _…_ "

"No mean feat…she's smaller and of a more recent class."

"Yes, sir…but this is still one of the most advanced ships in the entirety of the fleet. We're trialling a fair amount of new technology that the Colonial Fleet intends to roll out on all vessels."

"New long range communications technology…more advanced sensors and faster sublight drives." Everett spoke up

"Well that explains how _Minerva_ can match the _Kvasir_. As you were Lieutenant. I look forward to working with you."

"And I you, sir."

It was then that Petty Officer Claire Williams approached him with a piece of paper. It was note that was sent from the shipyard proper and it was addressed to him and him alone. Taking it, Declan had to smile ever so slightly as he read the note, before turning to the Petty Officer who had a very small polite smile.

"Shall I arrange for her to be escorted to your quarters?" She asked.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Petty Officer."

"Yes, sir."

"I will address all of you later today when the crew has finished loading the supplies. I thank you for the warm welcome." He addressed the whole of the CIC before heading out.

* * *

Declan's quarters were completely and utterly bare save for a bed, a modern corner sofa and a large modern oak desk with a computer, several neatly arranged pens and trays for paperwork. Suddenly, the prospect of redecorating didn't seem so daunting as he looked around. The hatch was knocked on several times then.

"Enter." He said with a small smile. Two marines walked in and saluted him to which he returned it as a third person, this one a young woman with brown eyes, long red-brown hair and she was quite a beautiful woman. Dressed in a red waistcoat that was open, with a white tank top and a pair of black skinny jeans and matching walking boots, he knew this woman well.

"Will you tell them to be at ease so they can go back to their duties?" She asked and he chuckled.

"As the lady says, gentlemen. Thank you."

"Sir!" They said before they departed the room.

"Look at you…Commander MacRae…" The woman smiled and have him a hug. "You think every once in a while, you can use this juggernaut to come visit your sister on Virgon?"

"Believe me, Kiera…I wish that I could." He smiled. "Gods I've missed my little sister…I heard you'd made captain of a Pan-Galactic passenger liner?"

"The _Arcadia_. One of the largest and most luxurious. Very new too. Guess we both ended up getting new ships."

"I guess we did."

"Yeah…so I'm here until tomorrow. And I know your ship will be taking off tomorrow…Would it be possible for me to stay here tonight? I can arrange for transport from the shipyard to the spaceport then."

"No need…I can arrange a raptor to transfer you to the spaceport."

"You don't have to, Declan…"

"I don't mind, Kiera…" He smiled slightly. "I've got a futon in my things. They're being brought up with the last of the supplies today."

' _CIC to commander.'_ Petty Officer Williams called on the intercom and he picked up the phone, which was wireless.

"Go ahead, Petty Officer."

' _Sir, Commander Dearing is requesting to come aboard. She'd like to meet with you before we launch tomorrow morning.'_

"Permission granted. Have her escorted to my quarters as well."

' _Right away, sir.'_

"Her?" Kiera asked with a small grin.

"Not what you're thinking, Kiera. Commander Katrina Dearing is in charge of the _Kvasir_. She was also the one who advised me of some tips to commanding. She's a friend. Nothing more."

"Oh I know that. You swing the other way. I was just teasing." Kiera chuckled. "Well I look forward to meeting her." She said, taking a seat on the sofa and looking around. "Wow, Dec…you really need to decorate this place. It's so bare…"

"I know…had the same thought when I first walked in here."

"Yeah…"

The door was opened then and a woman dressed in a Colonial uniform stepped in. Her rather stern expression relaxed somewhat when the door closed, and she kept her long dirty blonde hair in a tight bun. They both saluted one another and then they both stood at ease.

"Commander…it's good to see you. We last met on the day of your promotion, correct?"

"Indeed we did…I believe it was you who advised me to stand up to Everett."

"Yeah…the old man's bark is worse than his bite unless you really frak him off." She chuckled. "And is this your sister?"

"How'd you guess?" Kiera smiled and shook her hand.

"You're brother told me all about you. You're a co-pilot for Pan-Galactic, right?"

"Formerly. Now I'm captain of the _Arcadia_. It's nice to meet you commander."

"Just thought I'd drop by so I can see your speech. Oh, and the Command Navigation Program for both ships is on the fritz. Frakking systems never work when you need them to. We do have a civ contractor coming out from Caprica City to help reinstall it properly."

"Well…we're off to a great start. Any clue as to why that's happened?"

" _Kvasir's_ is corrupted…not sure how it could have happened. Yours is running oddly sluggish. Not even the whole 'turn it off, turn it back on' thing is working."

"What about the Vipers?" Declan asked with a small sigh.

"After the glitches started, we contacted the Ministry of Defence. They advised that we purge the program and they're going to send several contractors to fit it whilst we are on patrol for a few months. That way, they can see what the problems are and then rectify them on the fly.

"Good…let's hope we can get this working properly."

"New ship, new glitches. It happens from time to time."

"Very true."

* * *

When they got back to the CIC, Declan went to pick up the phone that could be used for ship-to-ship communication as well as for shipwide announcements. Not finding one, he was very surprised when he was handed a headset from Lieutenant Doral, who looked amused. Looping it in, he smiled gratefully at the Lieutenant.

"We're using the latest in communications technology. I can patch you in from here." Petty Officer Williams explained.

"Give me BSG wide."

"Yes, sir." She tapped a few commands into her console. "You're on to both _Minerva_ and _Kvasir._ "

"Can I everyone's attention please?" He began as the rest of the crew stood silently. "This is Declan MacRae, commander of _Minerva_ and by extension, BSG 49. When I spoke with Admiral Nagala at Picon, he reassured me that the best and brightest that the Colonial Fleet had to offer were going to be working under my command. Looking at the sophistication of these vessels and the effort that's gone into preparing them…it's clear to me that I am indeed fortunate enough to be able to lead the best. I'd just like to say that I'm really grateful for being that fortunate to lead you, and that I look forward to working with each and every soul that is on board these ships. You've all put a lot of effort into making sure that these Battlestars are ready to go. Rest up…for tomorrow we take flight in the defence of our homes. So say we all!"

"So say we all!" He heard the resounding response on the headset and in his own CIC.

"That is all." Declan smiled and Williams cut the communication as they applauded.

"Back to work." Everett ordered sternly. "A nice speech, Commander."

"Thank you, Colonel. I'll be in my quarters should anyone need me. Get some rest when you can. We are up early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir…goodnight, sir." Stephen nodded and went back to overseeing the officers in the CIC.

"Very good, Commander." Katrina smiled. "Well, I'm going back to _Kvasir._ All the best." She saluted and he returned it.

"You as well, Commander Dearing."

* * *

Back in his quarters, Declan was relieved to find his stuff piled neatly in the corner as well as a bottle of vintage whiskey with a small note. _'Glad to have you with us, Commander. So say we all!'_ Smiling as he put the bottle to one side, he fished around and pulled out the futon to set up for himself, earning a raised brow from Kiera.

"What the frak are you doing?"

"Bed's yours." He explained simply.

"Dec…really I don't mind. You've already organised a Raptor for me. I can't pinch your bed as well." She said, looking somewhat concerned.

"Kiera, it's fine…really." He smiled. "Besides, it's just for one night."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure…" He set the alarm for 6AM. "Early to bed, early to rise. Make sure that you get plenty of sleep because not only do you have a flight to catch, but I have a ship to send into space." He smiled and made himself comfortable. "Goodnight, Kiera…"

"Declan…you'll be careful? Right?" She asked softly, taking his hand before she lay down to go to sleep.

" _Minerva_ will protect me as well as the women and men of this ship."

"The ship? Or the goddess?"

"Both…we're in a peacetime anyway…we will be fine. I promise."

"Okay…"

"Get some sleep." Declan smiled softly and drifted off himself. Kiera turned and curled up in the bed before closing her eyes and drifting off.

* * *

No less than two hours later, a loud alarm woke them up, a light flashing red in the room. They both scrambled out of their beds and pulled on their clothes immediately, heading out as personnel began to run to their stations.

' _Action stations! Action stations! Set condition one throughout the ship!'_ Lieutenant Doral said over the PA as they both made it to the CIC.

"I know I set an alarm for early but this is ridiculous…report." Declan said, looking up at a large monitor with the DRADIS feed on it.

"Multiple large vessels have appeared in orbit over the planet. Several commanders have already positioned their ships in a defensive perimeter around Caprica."

"Any idea who these vessels belong to?" Declan asked, looking at the screen.

"Cylons…they spotted several Raiders."

"Dear gods…" Kiera muttered softly.

"Petty Officer Williams, can you please put me in touch with the lead vessel of the defending fleet?" Declan looped a headset in.

"Yes, sir…Battlestar _Valkyrie_ actual, this is _Minerva_ …commander Declan MacRae wishes to speak with you." She said and there was a small pause before she turned to the commander. "Go ahead, sir."

"What's the situation and where do you need us?" Declan asked instantly.

' _We need you up here, commander…there are a whole frakking lot of them…wait…what the hell is going on? We've lost pow-'_ The transmission cut out suddenly.

" _Valkyrie_ actual, come in. _Valkyrie_ actual, please come in." Declan asked before he watched the dot that represented the ship disappear. "Where'd they go?"

"Sensors are detecting hard radiation… _Valkyrie_ and her squadrons are gone, sir…"

' _Minerva! This is Battlestar_ Yashuman, _come in!'_

"This is Minerva actual...report."

' _I don't know what the frak happened! It was as if a switch had been flicked. She just lost power and they obliterated her…the Vipers too!'_

"Any idea as to what could have caused it?" He asked in concern.

' _Your guess is as good as mine, commander…oh frak…they're scanning us...com-'_ The transmission all of a sudden cut for the _Yashuman_ as well and soon another blip dropped off of DRADIS. And then a third, and then a fourth.

"Oh my gods…" Declan said, horrified as one after another, the ships were destroyed.

"Whatever took out the first two must be happening on all of the ships." Everett said.

"Are there any reports coming in from the fleet?" He turned to the Petty Officer.

"Multiple, sir…a whole load of confused chatter. All of the reports mentioned Battlestars just all of a sudden shutting down…a few of them have noticed that the Cylons are scanning them just before they lose total power." She explained, looking over all of the reports.

"I want a full diagnostics report on all of our systems…these systems are built to withstand things like this after the First Cylon War." Declan said as he watched the surviving ships bunch up on DRADIS, obviously not affected.

' _Minerva, this is_ Orion _actual. Come in.'_

"Go ahead, _Orion_ actual."

' _Isolate your Command Navigation Program immediately. When we lost the first vessels, we ran a full diagnostic on our networked systems. The CNP has several well-hidden back doors that we believe the Cylons are using to access and shut down all of our systems.'_

"Petty Officer…"

"Already on it, sir. Switching to old navigational program."

' _They're launching nukes…'_ The commander of the Orion sounded resigned. _'May the gods be with you, Minerva…'_

Several loud explosions could be heard before the Orion disappeared off of DRADIS. Whilst they'd managed to take out several Basestars, there were just too many and the Raiders were tearing up hundreds upon hundreds of Vipers with very few losses themselves. A siren went off in the CIC then.

"Radiological alarm!" Colonel Everett said and Declan weighed the options for a few moments.

"Prepare all anti-fighter batteries to fire the moment those missiles enter weapons range. Copy that order to the _Kvasir._ ' The commander said, regaining some calm. "I want all fighters no longer using the CNP moved to the launch tubes."

"Yes, sir." Doral said.

Another large screen came online with a camera feed of Commander Dearing, her hair down and uniform in slight disarray. Her crew were also typing into their consoles as alarms went off in the CIC. She looked stern as usual, but she also had a look of concern on her face.

' _All weapons are armed and prepared to fire, Commander. We've been monitoring the chatter and have already isolated and purged the ship of the CNP. Our techs have some Vipers ready for use.'_

"Good…we're going to hold our positions here until we have had time to evacuate the remaining staff on the shipyards."

"Declan…" Kiera called. "The spaceport…it's isolated from the main population centres and loaded with civilians and several passenger ships. We should evacuate as many as we possibly can."

' _President Adar has given an order to stop ships from leaving the Colonies.'_ Katrina pointed out. _'We should get into the fight…'_

"Are you really prepared to sacrifice thousands of lives that could otherwise be saved based on that frakking order?! Because I am not!" Kiera shouted. "We should evacuate civilians. We don't really have the luxury of time to debate this order."

' _Commander…it's your call.'_ Katrina said and Declan gave a small sigh.

"The Cylons are tearing the fleet to shreds…what makes you think we'll fare any better?" Kiera pointed out. "This planet is about to be nuked…millions are going to die. We should evacuate as many people as possible."

"Kiera is right…if we engage them now, we risk losing the fight and the people at the spaceport will still die…I know it seems like cowardice to run…but we should regroup before we take a run at the Cylons." Colonel Everett said. "This ship is known as _Minerva_ for a reason…strategy is important." He said and Declan sighed.

"Right…" He said finally. "We should focus on evacuating as many civilians as we can. Get the staff of the shipyard on board.

"Yes, sir." Colonel Everett tapped his earpiece. "All Marines, head down to the shipyard and begin evacuating as many people as you possibly can."

"Nuclear missiles are within weapons range." Lieutenant Grey reported.

"All batteries commence firing."

Six hundred railguns began firing at the missiles, the wall of rounds destroying several missiles around the shipyard. Several other missiles impacted the surface, a shockwave slamming into the vessels. The lights flickered inside and an alarm went off.

"Damage report." Commander MacRae said.

"No damage to report sir…the armour has blunted the hit. _Kvasir_ is reporting minor damage to one of its sublight thrusters." Grey reported. "Shipyard is still standing. All nukes have made impact across the planet's surface. The Cylons have stopped firing and are focusing on the remaining Battlestars in orbit."

"Send out a message to the surviving Fleet. Message begins: Engaged in civilian rescue operations. Will make a strategic retreat, regroup and then join the fight. Message ends."

"What about the spaceport?" Keira asked.

"Still intact. Port authorities can confirm survivors are still pouring into the port." Williams said.

"Have them start loading the civilian liners with passengers and when all of the seats are full, they are to fill in cargo bays. We're getting as many people off of this planet as we can. Helm, get us to that port."

"Yes, sir."

"Katrina…may the gods watch over you."

' _You as well, Declan.'_

 _"_ Are all shipyard personnel on board?"

"Yes, sir. Disengaging docking clamps, firing up manoeuvring thrusters." Lieutenant Doral said.

The sublight engines on both ships roared as they moved away from the damaged shipyards. Declan took a moment to give a long sigh as the rest of the crew also took in the fact that the Cylons had returned and had launched an attack on their worlds. Kiera was wiping tears from her eyes as she looked at the DRADIS monitor.

"Why'd they break the armistice?" Williams gasped out.

"Why it happened doesn't matter at the moment…" A shaken Doral said. "For now…we need to focus on evacuating survivors and getting the hell out of here."

"Colonel…once we've evacuated and moved the civilians to a safe location, we are going to need to get back into the fight." Declan said. "That said…I'd rather not go into this guns blazing. This ship is known as _Minerva_. We need a strategy before we engage them. We may just be two Battlestars but we are advanced, heavily armed and well protected."

"Yes, sir… _Kvasir_ may be able to fight in her own right, but she is not capable of engaging multiple baseships at once. If we do engage, Commander Dearing will hang back and provide long range missile fire…or she can draw Raiders away and engage them whilst _Minerva_ takes on much larger vessels. Of course we will need to coordinate with Commander Dearing before we can do so."

"Okay…good…we'll evac the civilians, regroup and see if we can get any other Battlestars around us. We'll launch a counterattack then."

"Yes, sir…"

"Sir! Caprica Interplanetary Spaceport is in view."

"Commence docking procedures. Have personnel posted on the path from the entrance to the cargo bays."

"Yes, sir."

"Prepare anti-fighter batteries for close-in air defence. Can you put me in contact with the civilian ships?" He asked Petty Officer Williams, who nodded. "Do so." He ordered and she did so.

"Go ahead, sir."

"To all civilian ships…this is Commander Declan MacRae, commander of Battlestar Group 49 on the Battlestar _Minerva_. Concentrate on evacuating civilians. My ships have this entire port covered from missiles."

' _This is the_ Amadea… _thank the Lords of Kobol you're here. We copy that order.'_

"I'm going to the _Arcadia_." Kiera said, heading out. "I'll see you out there."

"For the love of the gods, Kiera, please be careful. Get those people off the ground."

"You got it Declan."

"Before you go…" He turned to three marines at the doors. "You three, escort her to the ship. Help facilitate the evacuation."

"Sir!" They nodded, following her.

"Alright…let's go!"

"Commander, we have seven squadrons of inbound Raiders." Lieutenant James Grey reported.

"Launch Vipers to intercept and destroy. We have to buy time for the civilian ships to fill up and get off of the ground. Set topside anti-aircraft batteries to proximity fire." He ordered and the others complied.

'Minerva? _This is Kiera on the_ Arcadia. _We're taking on passengers now. Good hunting.'_ She said and he gave a small smile.

"Copy that, Kiera. We'll keep those fighters off of you."

' _Commander MacRae.'_ Katrina spoke over the comms. ' _We've taken on as many passengers as we can. We're disengaging the docking mechanisms and increasing our altitude to shield the passenger ships.'_

"Copy that, Commander. We'll be joining you shortly. We're almost at maximum capacity."

"Cylon Raiders have entered _Minerva's_ firing solution."

The lights in the CIC flickered ever slightly as several Raiders strafed the ship, doing very little, if any damage to the vessel. As the point defence guns began to fire, most of the Raiders began to back off to avoid been hit by the rounds. The Vipers pursued them, getting into dogfights with the Colonial fighters holding the advantage.

"Lieutenant Tombs is reporting that we've reached capacity. Marines are redirecting passengers to the civilian ships." Lieutenant Doral reported.

"Disengage docking mechanisms and increase altitude to match the _Kvasir._ Set underside anti-fighter batteries to proximity fire." Colonel Everett said and the Lieutenant Grey gave an affirmative. "Helm, position us above the spaceport."

"Nav, get us a safe location to jump to. _Adamea_ has disengaged its docking mechanism and is ready to launch as is the _Tria_ and the _Empress of Caprica_."

"Yes, sir."

" _Arcadia_ , status report." He tapped his headset.

' _Passenger capacity has been reached, disengaging docking mechanisms.'_

"Copy that. Recall all fighters and spool up the FTL drives. Relay the order to the _Kvasir._ Time to get the frak out of here." Declan said as another alarm went off.

"Radiological alarm!"

"Nav, do we have a safe place to jump to?"

"Yes, sir. Coordinates have been relayed to all civilian ships and the _Kvasir._ '

"Spool up the FTL drives so we can get out of here."

The small convoy of six vessels rose above the ruins of the spaceport then and disappeared in a flash of bright light, obliterating what remained of the structure. Seconds later, a missile hit what used to be the docking area, irradiating the area and causing further destruction to the doomed colony of Caprica.

* * *

In unoccupied space, the small fleet reappeared, drifting in space. The civilian ships clustered close together whilst the _Kvasir_ approached the larger Battlestar's starboard side. On board _Minerva_ , the shaken crew let out shaky sigh of relief before some of them broke down entirely into tears. Even Everett was shaky as he took off his glasses. Declan was propped up by his elbows on the central table.

"Alright then…" Declan said shakily. "Lets get our bearings…find out what's going on out there and see where we are needed."

"We're needed back on Caprica, sir…" Doral said softly.

"Caprica is gone, Lieutenant." Everett said gruffly. "They nuked the entire frakking planet. There is no Caprica to go back to!"

"Colonel…now is not the time to start shouting. Petty Officer Williams, can you transmit a message to all Colonial units, see if we can reach an Admiral?" He asked and she nodded. "Message begins: This is Battlestar _Minerva_ , flagship of BSG 49. Situation report. Where can we help? Message ends."

"What if the rest of the fleet has been incapacitated?"

"We'll take every possibility into account, Colonel…If we're going to fight the Cylons with limited manpower, we need to plan every single move we intend to make.

 **I hope I was able to address some plot holes here. Keep me posted!**


	2. Note to my Readers

**Note to my Readers**

Hey guys. It's been a while. This note is going on all of my fics if you read them. There's a reason for the rather long absence. It'll require some context. I work for a recruitment agency as a temporary agent, assigned to a big office of a well-known UK retailer as a member of their social media night team.

These past few months, since my last update, the office has recently been hit with a lot of contact from our customers. As a result, I've been raking in the overtime. Recently my office has received news that it will be closing. As a result, my job is in the toilet come February. Normally, I'd be very grateful for eight months' notice, but the news was so out of the blue, not only have we started to scramble to deal with the public fallout…but we're scrambling to sort out our futures.

As a temporary agent, I get no redundancy which means I have no money when the office closes. I'll be doing more overtime whilst simultaneously looking for a permanent job. I've booked time off on the Thursday and Friday, so I've got an action plan for then. I plan to update 'An Unexpected Transport', 'The Journey of BSG 49' and 'Stargate UKES' at the next available opportunity. I appreciate that you guys have been waiting and I'll do my absolute best to provide for you. Love you all!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Next Move

Disclaimer – I own nothing but my OC.

 **Hey guys! It's finally here! After multiple cases of writers block, a job loss and a chaotic work load, I have finally managed to write this! Rate, review and enjoy!**

Declan stood in the centre of the CIC, the latest report clutched within his slightly shaking hand. The Petty Officer that delivered it stood there with barely controlled tears as she stood at attention awaiting his next order. Wordlessly, he looped his earpiece in, Claire going to the communications console and activating not just the shipwide PA, but the PA for the entirety of the small ragtag fleet. Everyone turned to look at him as he took in a deep breath.

"This is Commander Declan MacRae aboard the Battlestar _Minerva_. Just moments ago, I received a final report from the Battlestar _Atlantia_ informing me of its impending destruction. Admiral Nagala and the rest of the fleet fighting alongside him have perished. All but the _Galactica_ are confirmed to have been destroyed as well…as of now, I am ordering an official retreat. _Minerva_ and _Kvasir_ won't be returning to the fight. We are going to jump to a safe location and then I would like to meet all ship captains and any politicians that remain. I intend to keep you all updated with regards to any decisions that are made."

With the communications cut, Declan turned and looked at the rest of the crew in the CIC. Some had their heads lowered whilst others wept silently. Even Colonel Everett looked saddened at the news.

"Your orders, sir?" The Colonel asked quietly.

"Find us a safe place to jump to…then ensure that the conference room is set up for use." Declan said.

"Yes, sir." The man gave a stiff nod and headed off.

"Lieutenant Doral…I'd like all Raptors organised for scout missions. Ensure all Vipers are fully loaded. We may be looking for a safe place, but I'd like to ensure that we are prepared for anything."

"Yes, sir…" He gave a shaky nod.

"Are you alright?" He rested a hand on his shoulder.

"My parents…they were on Caprica when…"

"I understand…" The other said softly. "There will be a time when we can grieve for them. First, we need to get to safety." He squeezed the others shoulder gently. "For now, keep your head held high, your head clear and we'll make it through this. We all will make it through this." He said that last part loud enough for his crew to hear. "We may have lost our war with the Cylons…but we are still here, still breathing…we have our ships, we have our weapons…we are going to survive, we are going to make a new home. The Twelve Colonies of Kobol will survive with us and our Lords will watch over us. So say we all."

"So say we all." They said solemnly.

"So say we all!" Declan said, louder this time.

"So say we all!" They responded in kind.

"Stand to your duties."

* * *

Colonel Everett had the small fleet jump to an unoccupied area of space, still within range of their former colonies, but in a location that was so remote, the Cylons wouldn't be interested. Declan was waiting in the Conference Room, looking around. The room was bare except for the ships emblem behind the seat in the centre.

Taken out of his musings when the door opened, Declan turned to see pale faced captains and politicians, all of them taking seats around the massive table silently. Declan sympathised with all of them. Their lives had been irreversibly changed by the attack on their homeworlds, some no doubt having lost loved ones and friends. That said, the Commander was also aware that the time to grieve was not now.

"One hell of a bad day…" Declan began, the others looking at him. "I've no doubt that we've all lost someone to this tragedy but as I said to one of my men earlier, the time to grieve is not now…first and foremost, we need to decide where to go from here."

"There's nothing left, Dec…we have nowhere to go…" Kiera said softly.

"Not in this system perhaps." Declan agreed, catching their attention.

"You're suggesting we go over the Red Line? Outside of the Red Line, FTL jumps will be impossible to calculate…it could kill us." One of the captains said.

"You're of the _Tria_ , yes?" Declan asked and the other nodded. "You saw how many Cylons attacked Caprica…we were still fighting them by the time your ships were full and we were ready to leave. As it stands, we are severely outnumbered and I would prefer not to doom the last of our people in an ultimately futile fight." He said, before sighing. "Any ideas to the contrary? Know of a planet that is in this system, capable of sustaining life and also hidden from the Cylons?" At this, he earned a few glares. "I'm not been sarcastic…If you know of such a planet, tell me." At this, they backed down. "I want us to survive…to rebuild…and we cannot do that in this system. We have to leave. I don't have a clue where that will take us but I do know I would rather take my chances out there rather than up against the Cylons."

"Alright…" Kiera said, the other politicians and captains nodding. "What's our next move?"

"President Adar ordered an immediate stop on all inbound traffic to the Colonies meaning that many civilian ships are stranded in this system. Some are passenger vessels, others could be mining ships or agro ships…all of which will be crucial to our survival. Myself and Commander Dearing have been organising our Raptor crews into teams so they can search for surviving ships. We are going to form a convoy, gather supplies and then we are going to leave."

"How can we be of assistance?" One of the politicians asked.

"Whilst _Minerva_ stays behind to organise the survivors, I will be taking _Kvasir_ to various installations that have ammunition, food, medical supplies and the like…I'd like to requisition your ships to help with the storage of supplies…it'd also give the civilians something to focus on." Dearing said.

"That can be arranged." Kiera said.

"We need to work towards building something new. The situation is bad now, but so long as we still live, our Colonies still exist." Declan said, standing up. "I thank you for your hard work so far…for the time being, we will hold off on a population count, but once we have this convoy organised, we will have much to do. You will be escorted back to your ships. Good luck out there and be careful." The commander said, the others nodding and standing up as well.

"What do we do about the government?" One of the politicians asked.

"We'll go over the details at a later point…but I fully intend to maintain the democratic process and ensure a functioning government is in place."

"The civilians will hold you to that, Commander MacRae…" The politician said and he nodded.

"I'm well aware." He nodded, heading out of the Conference Room and down to the Raptor hangars, joined by Lieutenant Doral and Petty Officer Williams. Many Raptors were loaded onto lifts to get them into the flight pod area so they could take off and their crews were stood at attention. David 'Frost' Weston, a Captain and leader of the Raptor crews stood by him.

"All of our Raptors are prepared. We're ready to take on passengers if need be and I've had each unarmed craft paired up with an armed variant in the event we encounter some unwanted guests." David said and Declan nodded.

"I need you to be aware of the fact that not all of our civilian ships are capable of FTL travel…in that event, shuttle as many survivors onto FTL ships. In the event the Cylons do appear in force, you are not to hesitate…I want you all back here. Not everyone can be saved on this mission, Captain…"

"We're aware of the possibilities, sir…" Frost said grimly.

"Alright…be careful out there, Frost, is it?" He asked and the other nodded. "Cool under pressure?"

"Slipped on icy tarmac during my first year…" The other admitted sheepishly. "We'll be careful, sir."

"Good…" He nodded as Frost turned to his amassed crews.

"Let's go rescue our people!" He said firmly, earning a resounding 'sir!' from all of them. Declan gave a salute as he watched the lifts slowly ascend with the first group of Raptors.

* * *

An hour later, _Minerva_ was alone in the void of space, several Vipers flying out from each pod to patrol the area. Declan was hunched over some reports in regards to the various network malfunctions that had crippled the rest of the fleet, before turning to the reports that humans have been spotted leading the Cylon boarding parties. Adrian Doral walked over, two cups of coffee in hand.

"I normally don't drink the godsforsaken stuff but Lords know I need it…" He said, grimacing at the bitter taste. "Thank you, Lieutenant…"

"Of course, sir…"

"Progress report on the networking issues."

"Petty Officer Williams and I have been working with several civilian contractors who were at the shipyard. Turns out they were here to reinstall the CNP but they had it purged the minute they had found out that it was the cause of the problems. Right now, we're currently on working ensuring that our network is firewalled and Cylon proof…"

"I'd rather the ship not be networked, given what has happened." Declan rose a brow.

"I understand that, sir…however the contractors involved in this process have created Cylon proof systems before…a network can better coordinate our systems, improve FTL calculations and the like." Doral said and the other sighed.

"Can you isolate certain systems?" He asked and the other nodded. "Keep life support separate."

"Sir?"

"When I was going through the ranks, I heard stories from my old superiors who had fought during the First Cylon War. Cylons would board ships and head straight for the life support system…they'd disable it, killing anyone not wearing suits…very few survived such boarding attempts. That is why I would like this system kept isolated."

"If we're leaving the system, why would we need to be concerned, if you don't mind my asking?"

"For forty years, we tried for peace…and out of the blue, unprovoked, the Cylons attacked. I believe they never stopped hating us…and if they were to find out that we survived...well they could pursue us."

"You always think ahead, sir?"

"Everyone has one or two Lords of Kobol that they worship specifically, yes?" Declan asked and the other nodded. "Mine was Minerva…for whom this ship is named. Minerva is the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. The Cylons have been many steps ahead and so we must be many steps ahead if we are to survive this. I have to take into account any possibilities and then some…" Declan said, sipping his coffee.

"Understood, sir." Adrian smiled.

"DRADIS contact." Colonel Everett said. "Four vessels…"

"Colonial Raptor authentication codes identified." Petty Officer Williams said as she checked her screens.

' _This is Frost…I managed to locate a Tylium refinery, mining vessel and a Pan-Galactic flight.'_

"Copy that, Frost. Status of the ships?" Declan spoke into an earpiece.

' _Externally, they seem fine. The captain of the refinery mentioned that they were currently involved in a mass upgrade to make the work less dangerous…for the time being, they're unable to refine fuel.'_

"We're full on fuel anyway. Tell the captain to take as long as he needs to. Claire…transmit _Kvasir's_ coordinates to the three vessels, have them assist in the supply gathering operations." He said and she gave a small smile.

"Yes, sir."

"It's good to have some good news. As you were, Frost."

' _Yes, sir.'_

The three larger vessels disappeared from the screen as did Frost's Raptor, leaving the Battlestar on its own once more. Declan allowed himself a small smile, relieved to find that they were able to find some ships that could benefit their long term survival.

* * *

Over the next few hours, the Raptors came and went, bringing with them many ships of varying sizes and functions. They were fortunate enough to retrieve two botanical cruisers, a passenger liner that had recently been converted to a hospital ship, several other space liners and an additional mining ship. Other Raptors returned loaded with survivors from ships that didn't have FTL capabilities. Small transport ships brought back by the Raptors assisted with transferring them to the fleet that was slowly but surely growing.

' _This good luck can only last so long…'_ Declan thought, ever so slightly cynical as he compiled a list of ships in their fleet. He was sat in his office, glasses resting on his head as he looked away from the computer screen when the PA suddenly activated.

' _Commander MacRae, contact the CIC.'_ Adrian's voice came over the speakers.

"Please be good news." He muttered to himself as he picked up the phone. "Go ahead."

' _The Raptors have returned. Only two_ Olympic _-class space liners…the rest were carrying survivors.'_ Adrian reported.

"Very well…what of the _Kvasir_?'

' _Commander Dearing reports that they are almost at capacity on essentials and the fleet is refuelled from a Colonial Tylium reserve.'_

"Very good…I'll be right down…"

Declan made sure his uniform was buttoned up and pristine before leaving his office and heading for the CIC to hear an alarm going off. Immediately he snapped into action and looked up to see what it was that they were dealing with whilst Adrian called everyone to action stations. It looked like they were facing two Basestars that were slowly approaching the ship.

"Frakking things jumped in not long after the Raptors returned." Everett reported.

"Have the civilian ships jump to Dearing's last known position."

"The captain of one of the liners is reporting a failure in the FTL drive." Claire looked up from her screen and he sighed. "He's sent a maintenance crew down there to effect repairs but he hasn't got an idea as to when they'll be up and running."

"Looks like we'll be fighting. Helm." He turned to Adrian. "Position is in front of the civilian liner, have the starboard battery stand by for defensive fire."

"Aye, sir." He tapped several commands.

 _Minerva_ was moved to completely cover the civilian ship, the underside guns rotating to acquire the nearest Basestar as a target. A line of twelve guns along the ships topside also positioned, acquiring a firing solution as well. Declan watched as many smaller contacts appeared on DRADIS, approaching the ship rapidly.

"Enemy suppression fire…anti-fighter batteries commence firing."

"Anti-fighter batteries fire only." Colonel Everett reported.

Hundreds of guns lining the side of the colossal Battlestar began to fire at the approaching Raiders, destroying many of them in quick succession. Attempting to avoid the wall of bullets, they increased altitude as if to fly over the Colonial ship only to meet more bullets from the CIWS. Eventually, they began a retreat as the second Basestar launched its own squadrons to back them up.

"The Raiders have retreated." Doral reported.

"Launch the alert Vipers." Declan said. "Signal Vipers to engage Raiders only, execute."

"Vipers, clear to launch." Claire spoke into her headset.

Forty Vipers exited the launch tubes along _Minerva's_ flight pod, the deck crews working to launch more. Reaching the Raiders quickly, they began to fire their own weapons, the hail of bullets shredding even more of the diminished squadrons. Soon, the Raiders from the other Basestar made it into the fray, finally firing back and destroying several of the Colonial fighters. Suddenly a beeping went off inside the CIC.

"We have incoming conventional ordnance." Doral reported and the ship shuddered violently as it took several missiles.

"Damage?"

"Minimal." Doral reported. "First Baseship is in range of the main battery."

"Open fire."

The main guns trained on the Baseship began to fire missiles of its own, scoring several hits on the central axis. In retaliation, the strangely shaped vessel fired a massive barrage of missiles, the Vipers too occupied to deal with it. Several of the missiles were impacted by the wall of bullets fired by the anti-fighter guns but several impacted the flight pod.

Inside the CIC, several panels sparked out and the lights flickered, several people losing their balance as the ship shuddered violently. An alarm could be heard over the clamour as one of the screens displayed a schematic of the ship. Various sections of the flight pod were showing as red, some of the launch tubes now blocked by twisted metal.

"What's the status on that FTL drive?" Declan turned to Claire.

"Crews have identified the problem and are working on repairs…four minutes, tops."

"Copy…"

' _Commander, this is 'Canine'. We're running out of ammo out here…'_

"Canine, this is the Commander…additional fighter support will be there to relieve you shortly. Have any fighters that are out of ammo return to _Minerva_ immediately. Combat landings are authorised." Declan said and he noticed several Vipers making a beeline for the Battlestar. The ship shuddered again as another missile struck the pod.

"They're deliberately targeting the landing pods." Everett noted.

"They need to hurry up with those repairs so we can get the frak out of here." Declan muttered. "Lieutenant, bring all main guns to bear on the nearest Basestar…let's see if we can lessen some of the damage we're taking."

The guns along the ships topside re-adjusted their position slightly, and with assistance from the battery on the underside of the hull, they unleashed a salvo of fire that obliterated one of the six elongated parts of the ship and dealt severe damage to the central axis. It seems that it had done the trick as the amount of missiles that were being fired was drastically reduced. A few more shots from the main battery dealt the deathblow as the ship split in two and erupted in a ball of flame.

"Baseship destroyed." Doral reported, the crew cheering before a beeping cut through the noise.

"What?..."

Amidst the smouldering wreck of the Cylon ship, another one had appeared to take its place. It then loaded several missiles, causing an alarm to blare across the CIC.

"Radiological alarm." Claire said.

"This Basestar is loaded with nukes." Declan said grimly.

"The captain of the civilian ship is reporting all green on the FTL…it's just jumped to Commander Dearing's position."

"Get our birds back to the nest so we can get the frak out of here!"

"All wings, this is _Minerva_. Combat landings have been authorised. Get back home." Claire said.

The Vipers began an immediate retreat then, followed closely by Raiders. When they were out of the Battlestar's firing solution, Doral brought all guns to bear on the rapidly advancing squadrons, easily destroying them. Several missiles were fired from the new Basestar, rapidly approaching. Retracting the flight pods, Declan had the green light.

"Jump!"

In a flash of light, the Colonial vessel jumped, the missiles passing through the empty space followed by Raiders.

At one of the resupply stations, _Minerva_ dropped out next to a large fleet of civilian ships and _Kvasir,_ relief coursing through the crew. Declan looked around at the crew, who in turn cheered at not only their survival, but for also destroying at least one of the Baseships. Even Everett had a small smile on his face as they looked up to see at least 40 vessels that had been saved.

"We've got a lot of work to do yet…but this…this here is a victory…now…shall we find ourselves a new home?"

"So say we all!" The crew responded.

"So say we all…"

 **I know it seems as though it's switching scenes rather quickly, but I wanted to show exactly how fast that they had to work to prepare for the future. Rate and review!**


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